For 10-3-14

Got my Sponsorship policy finished! Now we’re on to creating my Sponsorship Strategy — or basically my Sponsorship Marketing Plan.

This is where the “rubber meets the road.”

I have to be able to demonstrate to potential sponsors that I can capture and retain my audience. I also need research, rather than a guess, that my product/service and, in turn, my “sponsorship properties” meet both my audience’s and my sponsors’ needs and values.

The very first step is to define my own brand — I have to figure out who I am — what differentiates me — in my audience’s eyes — from other musicians, or even other types of entertainment, and what is my unique selling point (USP).

To do this I have to leave my ego at the door. As much as I’d like to be able to control my brand (and I’ll do everything I can to), ultimately how my audience perceives me & my music trumps how I perceive my music or myself, or how I want my audience to perceive my music or myself.

Steve Jobs is my inspiration here. Everyone thinks he made consumers want apple products. Everyone thinks he created desire. No. Jobs was brilliant at understanding what people desire deep down at a core level that, yes, maybe they aren’t even aware of — and turn that intelligence into products people now feel they can’t do without!

Now here is where we hit what might seem like a snag — because I’m not willing to be anyone else but myself, and I can’t sing or write songs for an audience, I can only sing & write what I hear, what I feel. Some are willing to turn themselves over to be “manufactured” into a high demand product. That’s fine for some. It’s not me. I have to be me. That is my product/service, that is the essence of my music — I’m a simple storyteller, being as real as I can be, hoping my stories resonate with an audience. I have to find an audience who wants to listen to me as I am.

But in a twist on Jobs approach, I still then have to know, without question, who I am as a person, and as an artist. All those little decisions he was famously unrelenting about — that’s what I have to do with myself, and my music. What will I wear, what will I not wear; what will I do, what will I not do; what instruments will I use, what instruments will I not use. All of that has to be defined in minute detail well before I can figure out who my audience is.

All this being said, in my case, I have several “ME-s”. Let me explain. I’ve chosen to create personas for each genre of music I want to sing. What fun! You can read about it at Triple Threat Turns Into Many More. I’m beginning with my Jazz Persona, Sere, so I will be focusing this sponsorship plan around her. (and, yes, I’ll have to make a different sponsorship plan for each persona, as well as a different sponsorship plan for Ever Entertainment’s House Channel.) As I begin to garner feedback from my blossoming audience, I have been blessed so far to find that my intention in my persona and my music is synching up with my audience’s perception. If it wasn’t, it would be back to the drawing board.

But, my intent — my USP — can also forever be polished and it needs to be fluid and open to constant reflection.

I need to more deeply define my USP for my sponsorship strategy:

Intent:
Immediately after someone leaves my live online concert, or even listens to my music, what are the three things I would like them to think about the experience? (Well, I’m changing the word “think” to “feel,” because I want them to feel!)
1-feel that I was singing to just them and feel my love & appreciation.
2-feel my passion, joy and love through my stories and be moved.
3-feel like smiling, looking forward to the next time we can connect.

Perceptions:
What are the perceptions my audience has fed back to me, good and bad.

Sere – Jazz
Emotional:
Live Online Concerts:
StageIt:
“After a long day at work, your music helps me relax and feel mellow”
“Like your background”
“Love your jewelry”
“Each of your performances are breathtaking”
“Such a great show”
“You are so adorable”
“You can’t fake stage presence — and you’ve got it”
Second Life:
-“sounded so perfect and just like your recordings, I wasn’t sure if you were actually singing live or playing your recorded songs”
Listening to Music:

“Gorgeous woman, gorgeous songs.”
“Soooooooo Smooth!”
“Absolutely gorgeous voice and lush accompaniment to suit!”
“Shimmering vocals and sophisticated beats!! Beautiful sounds here!”
“Beautiful!!!”
“Beautiful voice and much emotive! Best regards from Greece!”
“Amazing voice, very convincing interpretation, nice and cool”
“Sweet voice! Great music! Love it!”
“Very Talented! Beautiful Voice!”
“Awesome voice!”
“Absolutely lovely work Sere. Beautiful voice you have and the music certainly fits very well with that.”
“Wonderful voice on Green Light … awesome feel”
“Classy! Really enjoyed :)”
“Hi Sere! Thank you for your kind comments ! Really means a lot coming from someone as talented as yourself ! I could listen to you sing all day ! Mellifluous ! Good Luck & God Bless !”
“Really smooth sounds.”
“Your voice is very enchanting.”
“Wonderful talent on display here Sere! Beautiful sounding tracks, enjoying such a magical listening experience! Love from Australia! :)”
“Very professional and Incredible vocals! Really great atmosphere you’ve created with your songs!”
“Perfect, awesome jazz.”
“Hopes Door” sweet sax and lovely voice Sere. So soothing and laid back jazz is fabulous!
“Candle is delicious. Smoky jazz vocals, lovely.”
“pure smoky, post-midnight joy on these tracks for me Sere..just love those deep, intense vocals and the intimate, sway and banter of the band behind…just sounds lush!! Loving your skills.”
Functional:
Live Online Concerts:
StageIt:
-Buffering issues (internet speed on receiver’s end)
-Moving too fast on screen causes blurring
-No movement is boring
-Lighting washing you out
Second Life:
-Boring sitting and watching avatar
-Need to add video screen or something to watch
-Don’t like having to create an avatar to watch

Listening to Music:
-Good marketing (Promo on end of clip)
-Ever Entertainment™
-just want to press play and hear everything continuously — can’t figure out how
-wish navigation was easier
-site looks dated
-Artist Channels seem hidden, hard to navigate & clunky

Motivators:
What caused my audience to take action in either attending my events or listening to my music:
Live Online Concerts:
Emotional:
-like discovering new artists
-like listening to new original music
-like jazz
-like image
-like charitable element

Functional:
-free or pay what you can
-convenient time
-convenient because it’s online

Listening to Music:
Emotional:
-like discovering new artists
-like listening to new original music
-like jazz
-like image
-referred

Functional:
-free
-available 24/7
-convenient because it’s online

Essence:
What are three words or phrases that capture the core emotion the audience experience at my concerts or listening to my music:
1″intimate”
2″smooth, lush, delicious, smoky joy”
3″enchanting”
Intent compared to Perception:
Now it’s truth time — this is where I see if a circle is created. Does my intent match my audience’s perception:

Well — how did I do? It’s absolutely more of a match than I could have ever hoped for!! I feel so blessed!

Okay — so my audience perceives me and my music as I hoped they would — we are connecting, we are resonating with one another, and it is heaven! Honestly, I wish this were all there was to it! It certainly is rewarding and makes it all seem worthwhile. There’s just that issue of needing to make a living to be able to continue! So — this was a nice moment, but now it’s time to get back on task.

Oh, didn’t realize what time it was already! I’ll have to wait until next time! I’ll start honing in on exactly who my audience — or target market is — gotta go!

Eliyora Entertainment LLC.  Ever Entertainment®  © Paradunai LLC.  All international rights reserved.  All trademarks property of Paradunai LLC.  All personas, concepts and original songs created and performed by Sherese Chrétien.